Bottle-holder.



' E. e. GEORGE.

BOTTLE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 15. I915.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

@Q.., MQ a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND G. GEORGE, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LESLIE HALL SIMPSON, OF GLENARM, ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

Application filed October 15, 1915. Serial No. 56,028.

I To all whom vii may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND G. GEORGE, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in. Bottle- Holders, of which the following is a specification.

Milk bottles or jars of a standardized type are almost universally used by dairies in the distribution of milk among their customers, and as such goods are usually distributed during early morning hours, it is the present prevailing practice, in order to save time and avoid disturbing the customers, for the delivery man to simply leave the milk bottles at the doors of the houses, to be taken up later by the customers. Under this practice the goods remain for a greater or lesser time, unprotected and exposed to thievery, it being known that there exists in many cities, a class of persons known as milk thieves who make a business of stealing milk after it has been thus distributed.

This invention relates to bottle holders of a type adapted for attachment to a door or window frame to receive and hold such bottled goods.

The invention has among its objects to provide a comparatively simple, inexpensive device of this character which may be readily installed for use and which will securely retain, pending its authorized removal, a bottle placed therein.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a holder with which a bottle may be instantaneously engaged and one wherein.

the act of inserting the bottle, serves to automatically lock the latter in place.

A further object is to provide a bottle holderwhich is readily adaptable, for use with either a right or left hand door, or with a window.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bottle holder embodying the invention, showing the same applied for use;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional plan, the section being taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

,will more fully hereinafter appear.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts of the device in bottle releasing position; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line l4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the device is shown as applied to the frame or casing 1 of a door 2, it being understood that these parts, which are conventionally illustrated, may be of ordinary construction and material and that the device may, with equal facility, be installed for use upon a window frame, for holding a bottle 3 of the usual type having upon its neck a shoulder or bead 4. j

The holder forming the subject matter of the invention embodies an upper frame plate 5 provided with an upturned end flange 6, suitably apertured to accommodate screws 7 by means of which the device may be securely attached to the frame or casing 1, the plate 5 being also provided with downturned side flanges 8, each of which is provided at a point adjacent its rear end, with a slot or aperture 9, for a purpose which will later appear.

Disposed beneath and in spaced relation to the plate 5, to provide a chamber or recess 10, is a lower frame plate 11 provided with an outwardly opening bottle receiving slot or recess 12 and having downturned side flanges 13 riveted or otherwise attached to the flanges 8, there being mounted upon the plate 11, at therear of the chamber 10, a latching bolt 14 pivoted at one end to the frame plate by means of a removable plntle 15 which may be engaged with an opening 16 provided at the other end of the bolt, thus adapting the device for attachment to the casing 1 at either side of the door has e latching bolt 14, which has terminal finger pieces 17 exposed respectively through the slots 9, is provided at its forward edge with an upstanding engaging oortion or flange 18 and 'at its rear edge with an oppositely disposed finger 19 to which is attached one end of an actuating spring 20 having its other end suitably engaged with the frame plate 11, through a slot 21 formed in the bolt, said spring tending to normally throw the bolt forward to engaging position.

Pivoted, respectively, at 22, to the plate 11 is a pair of cooperating clamping jaws 23, provided at their inner or rear ends with upturned flanges 24, whose opposed ends are spaced relatively to provide a space or recess adapting the portion 18 of the bolt to seat between said flanges, which thus form 1 stops, and lock the jaws in clamping position, the inner active edges of the jaws being oppositely curved, as at 25, to conjointly the latter when closed covers the adjacent slot 9, it being noted, upon reference to the drawings, that when the holder is thus at-v tached, the latching bolt 14 ,will be pivoted at that end farthest removed from the door and with the finger piece 17 at itsfree or movable end, adjacent to the slot 9 which is thus covered. By changing the pivoting bolt 15 to engage the opening 16 at the other end of the latching bolt, the holder is adapted for attachment .to the casing 1 at the other edge of the door, and the device is thus made readily adaptable for either right or left hand doors, as will be readily understood. When thus attached for use and prior to closing the door 2, the holder mechanism is set to receive a bottle by engaging the finger piece 17 and throwing the bolt 14 rearwardly against the action of spring 20, thus moving the part 18 from between the rear ends of the jaws 23, and adapting the latter to be moved to open position, as in Fig, 3, after which the door 2 may be closed and locked. It now follows that the delivery man in making his rounds, simply introduces the neck of the bottle into the slot 12 and pushes it home, whereupon the bottle spring 20 automatically throws the bolt 14 forwardly for its part 18 to seat between the stop flanges 24 and lock the jaws in bottle retaining position. These flanges also serve to close the chamber 10 in advance of the bolt 14 and prevent operation ofsaid bolt by an instrument inserted from the front. \Vhen thus inserted the mouth of the bottle is received within the chamber 10, between the plates 5 and 11, and with the bead .or shoulder 4 disposed above the retaining jaws 23, thus effectually preventing removal of the bottle or gaining access to the contents thereof, while the door 2 by covering the slot 9 prevents manipulation of the latching bolt 14 and, therefore, fraudulent removal of the bottle from the holder. To

remove the bottle the door 2 must'be unlocked and swung open and the bottle is thus securely retained pending its authorized removal.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the invention accomplishes its stated objects in that the bottle may be instantaneously engaged with the holder and automatically locked in place therein pending its authorized removal. In attaining these ends, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily restricted to the. structural details herein disclosed, as various minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the in vention. It is to be further understood that the term door wherever employed is to be position when a bottle is placed in the holder, a reversible latching bolt housed within the chamber and automatically operable for locking said jaws in bottle engaging position, and means constructed and arranged whereby the door, when closed, renders said latching bolt inaccessible for operation to release the jaws.

. 2. A bottle holder adapted for attachment to a door casing and comprising a pair of movable bottle engaging jaws mounted for free unrestricted relative movement and having inner terminal portions disposed'to be struck by the bottle for moving the jaws freely into engagemenflwith a bottle when placed in the holder, means for automatically locking said jaws in bottle engaging position, and means whereby the door, when closed, renders said locking means inaccessible for operation to release the jaws.

3. A bottle holder comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating bottle engaging jaws, a pivoted locking bolt adapted for engaging said jaws to lock. them in bottle holding position, and means for pivoting said bolt at either end adapting the holder for attachment to the casing at either side of a door.

4. A bottle holder comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating bottle engaging jaws, a fpivoted locking bolt adapted for engaging said jaws to lock them in bottle holding position, the ends of said bolt being acces- 5. A bottle holder comprising a frame, a

.pair of cooperating bottle engaging jaws,

a pivoted-locking bolt adapted for engaging said jaws to lock them in bottle holding position, and a single pivoting bolt adapted to engage one end or the other of the looking bolt for reversibly pivoting the same and adapting the free end of the locking bolt for manipulation in operating said bolt to release the jaws. q

6. A bottle holder comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating bottle engaging jaws, a pivoted locking bolt adapted for engaging said jaws to lock them in bottle holding position, a spring tending to move said bolt to jaw locking position, and means for pivoting said bolt at one end or the other to reverse the holder without altering the position of the locking bolt or its actuating spring.

7. A bottle holder comprising a frame having a chamber, a pair of cooperating bottle engaging jaws, a locking bolt located in rear of said jaws within said chamber, said bolt being adapted for locking the jaws inbottle holding position and for movement by hand to release the jaws, and means on said jaws constructed and arranged to close said chamber in front of said bolt for pre- 7 venting fraudulent operation of said bolt said jaws constructed and arranged to close said chamber in front of said bolt for preventing fraudulent operation of said bolt from the front.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature this 20th day of September, 1915.

EDMUND G. GEORGE. 

